The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1887-09-01
IMITATION oPAls.
The Profitable Industry Carried on By
Nu,ni.sr uf sharp Mexicauz

The Profitable Industry carried on By .
Nutni'-r 20 sharp NeKieans-
Among the little souvenirs which
visitors fr"m ahruad like to secure in A
visit to Paso del Norte none are more
popular Than opals In the first place
the stone III H. best is extremely hand
some. aud in the second place. there is
II" difficulty dropping few of them in
ones vest packet add smuggling them
cross the frontier into the United
States. Thus the visitor has not only
the pleasure. Of securing q gem at a low
figure. hut has also the gratifying con-
seriousness that he has done something
smart.
II i said that this has been going on
for spmc lime. and has melted num-
her If sharp MrNcaus Ia the manufac-
'urr 81 imitation upals. which they
have Sold in large Quantities A rail
ruad man Engaged on the southern Pa
ellie admitted Ia your correspondent a
few day ago that he had b,-en taken
IN hy one of the willy vendors 0f glass
-AiNl7- AAin lAAsAAlfl VII AfAa ~ Y ~ ANNh
Orleans. aud in the discharge Of his
duties he makes frequent visits a. II
pssn. On one Of these occasions he
WIS induced Ia purchase four Of the so
called upals. for which he paid what
would have been about one-thinl Of
Their value had they been genuine. He
said:
II took them down 10 New Orleans
to Ice sci in scarf-pins. and when the
icwelrr saw them he looked serious.
stuck magnilicr in his eye and told
me the things were glass. They were
line limitations and worth about g. % "A
grosS want 70 meet the Mexican
that sold 'em 10 me just once before /
die.
Il is said that the trade in these bogus
stones ia the little Mexican town has
been extensive, and the gentleman re
ieUred to states that many Americans
have been swindled. The scheme is
ingenious. for the purchaser. knowing
that he is breaking the law in snug
Cling them over. is sure 20 keep the
suppnsiiitiOus gems securely hidden
until he gets we'll away from Fl Paso
The usual mode Of operation is as fol-
lows; A dilapidated Mexican APP
prnaches the tourist and inquiries IN
broken English whether he wants to
bus any opals. adding that he has some
.he mined himself A box Of stones Of
different sizes is produced, and the
prices asked are about a third less than
those Of the stores The vender is
always ready b. sdd a picturesque
effect Ia the swindle by narrating his
adventures in getting the stones and
the meeting generally terminates in a
purchase. OF course all his wares are
counterfeit.
The opal is the ariStocrat Of gems.
aud aS far rs an expert is concerned il
is impossible 10 make an imitation that
will decrive. But most people are
familiar with the general appearance
only and that is pretty well simulated
by the Mexican makers.
The police have reason TO believe
that the bogus opals are made at Paso
del Norte, and are watching the estab-
lishment in which they suspect the
stones to be made. Il is scarcely
necessary 10 say that no established
business house has any connection with
he matter The industry is a purely
local one. for if it were practiced where
smuggling did not exist. the purchaser
auuld find out at the first irwelry store
that he had been Houston
cor. Jerciers' Weekly.